The standard manufacturing process for many supported aromatization catalysts typically involves forming a bound zeolite base from a binder and a zeolite, and the zeolite may be ion-exchanged prior to formation of the bound zeolite base. The bound zeolite generally is washed prior to the addition of a transition metal, such as platinum, and a halogen, thereby forming the supported aromatization catalyst.
It may not be desirable to perform an ion-exchange process after the formation of the bound zeolite base, due in part to the additional cost and complexity that it would add to the overall manufacturing process of the catalyst. However, it may be beneficial to enrich the bound zeolite support with an alkali metal to improve the properties of the resultant supported aromatization catalyst without the necessity of an ion-exchange process. Accordingly, it is to these ends that the present disclosure is generally directed.